Method and means for circulating air under pressure of radially propelled horizontal jets



Jan. 17, 1961 w. R. MOBLEY 2,968,437

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR UNDER PRESSURE OF RADIALLY PROPELLED HORIZONTAL JETS Filed Oct. 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY fimmiw ATTORNEYS 17, 1961 w. R. MOBLEY 2,968,437

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR UNDER PRESSURE OF RADIALLY PROPELLED HORIZONTAL JETS Filed Oct. 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR UNDER PRESSURE OF RADIALLY PROPELLED HORIZONTAL JETS William R. Mobley, P.0. Box 2311, Miami, Fla.

Filed Oct. 31, 1955, Ser. No. 543,847

Claims. (Cl. 230-259) The invention relates to jet air propelling and circulating fans and has for its objects to provide a jet fan unit which is capable of more efficient operation than the conventional non-jet fans heretofore known and used.

An important object of the invention is to provide a method and means for circulating air under pressure by centrifugally propelled revolving jets of air directed at an angle to the radii of a center of air collection, while utilizing the angular propulsion of the air jets to effect cyclonic movement of the surrounding air.

,A further object of the invention is to provide a motor driven fan unit comprising horizontally rotating diametrically opposed arms respectively having jet vanes on their outer ends for contacting and projecting the air generally radially outwardly in a horizontal plane in the form of rapidly pulsating jets and in all radial directions circumferentially of the axis of rotation of the unit.

A further object is to provide a fan of the character described wherein the horizontal projection of the air in a series of rapidly pulsating jets by the revolving fan vanes, results in a circular or cyclonic movement of the otherwise quiescent air at a locality radially outwardly of the propelled jets, thereby insuring more complete and efiicient circulation of the moving air in the room or other space where the unit is placed in operation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the the following description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a jet air fan unit comprising a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same partially in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the fan blades or jet vanes illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through a jet fan unit constituting a further modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the fan blades or vanes illustrated in Fig. 6.

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views showing specifically different modified forms of the jet vane structure.

Referring to the drawings, and with particular reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the fan unit comprises an electric motor 10 supported by a suitable base frame generally indicated at 11 and having a current conducting lead wire 12. The vertically extending motor or armature shaft is indicated at 13 and is journalled at 14 in the motor casing. The shaft carries a hub 15 keyed thereto or secured thereon as by a set screw 16. The hub 15 carries a pair of diametrically extending hori- Patented Jan. 17, 1961 zontal arms 17 and 18, each terminating at its outer end in a horizontally offset extension 19 projecting rearwardly of the axis of rotation of the shaft 13. A fan blade or jet vane 20 is mounted on and secured to the outer end of each of the arm extensions 19, said vanes also extending rearwardly and being curved slightly radially outwardly at its rear or trailing end as indicated at 21.

The motor casing or frame of the fan unit also carries a circular horizontal imperforate plate or disc 22 which is rigidly supported on the motor as by the bosses 23. Said plate member carries a foraminous or other conventional guard or screen member 24, which surrounds and protects the rotatable arms and vanes of the unit. Said guard may include at its upper end a central disc member 25, which serves as an anchoring medium for a handle member 26, by means of which the fan may be conveniently transported in the event the device constitutes a portable unit.

Due to the location and configuration of the fan jet vanes 20, the rapid rotation thereof by the motor 10 serves to draw the air vertically downwardly through the screen or guard member 24, imperforate disc 22 serving to prevent further downward movement of the air and also preventing air from being drawn upwardly from beneath the rotating arms and vanes 20. Said vanes impinge against and serve to project or propel the entrained air in the form of rapidly pulsating individual jets, horizontally outwardly from the fan unit and in all directions radially thereof. This rapid and continuous contact of the vanes with the air during their circular path of travel also serves to create zones of high pressure in advance of the vanes and low pressure zones rearwardly thereof. This pressure difierential additionally aids in setting up a cyclonic movement of the radially and horizontally propelled air and adjacent quiescent air in a circular path circumferentially of the fan unit, with gradually decreasing intensity radially outwardly therefrom. In this manner the fan acts as a more efiicient air circulating unit or device as compared to conventional motor driven fans of the vertical type wherein the incoming air is forced upwardly by the vertical propeller type of blades and caused to strike against a fiat or conical buffer plate above the blades and thereby diverted in inclined planes upwardly and outwardly relative to the shaft or axis of blade rotation.

The instant and improved horizontal projection of the air in the form of a continuous series of rapidly pulsating jets radially and horizontally outwardly of the vanes is enhanced by spacing the vanes only slightly above the upper surface of the fixed imperforate plate or disc 22, the latter preventing air from rising vertically into contact with the blades from beneath the horizontal zone of rotation thereof. This manner of entraining and propelling the air downwardly and horizontally, is indicated by small arrows in the drawings.

Therefore it will be seen that the instant improved method and means for circulating the air radially and horizontally in all directions, comprises propelling jets of air by the vanes 20 centrifugally outwardly from a center of air collection (the axis of shaft 13) and at an angle to the radii from such center, and utilizing said angular propulsion of the air jets to effect cyclonic movement of the surrounding air in the direction of vane travel. This serves to more efficiently circulate the air in a room or other space as desired.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the diametrically extending arms 17a and 18a may constitute a single unit as illustrated which is pivotally mounted at 27 in the hub member 15 fixed on the drive shaft of the motor 10. Also the air jet vane units 20a are substantially straight rather than outwardly curved at their trailing ends, as in the instance of the previously described embodiment. This manner of constructing thefan unit permits the vane arm to rock or oscillate slightly in vertical planes during its rotation, suitable provision being made to insure against the vanes 20a striking or contacting the plate or disc member 212 during their rotation. In this embodiment an enclosing protecting guard member or screen of the character indicated at 24 in Figs. 1 and 2, is preferably mounted on the disc 22 for enclosing and protecting the rotatable elements of the fan unit.

Figs. '6 and 7 illustrate a further modified form of the invention, embodying however the same novel principle of operation. The diametrically and radially extending blade arms 17b, 181) 'each carry a curved and tapered semicylindrical vane member 20b at its outer end. The blade arms may be fixed as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, or may be pivotally mounted on the hub 15 for rocking or vibratory movement, as shown in Fig. 5. The fan arms and vanes are enclosed by an upper imperforate disc or plate 28 and a similar lower disc 29, having supporting and spacing sleeves 30 'therebetween. A cylindrical guard screen is indicated at 31 for enclosing the sides of the unit outwardly of the vanes. The motor shaft 13 and hub 15 are totated by an electric motor b carried by the upper plate 28 and having a handle member 26b for transporting the fan unit. In this form of the invention the lower plate member 29 is supported by a tubular sleeve or cylindrical conduit 32 having circumferentially spaced brackets 33 at its lower end for supporting the sleeve and motor driven jet fan unit on the upstanding peripheral wall member 34 of the hollow base 35. Wing nuts 36 may be provided on one or more of the bracket members 33 for removably securing the sleeve and fan unit in place on the base member. Said hollow base may be filled to any desired degree with a liquid such as water, the surface of which contacts the air being entrained by the rotation of the fan vanes to aid in removing impurities from the air before it is drawn upwardly by the rotating vanes for rapid radial and horizontal projection in a series of pulsating individual jets by means of said vanes.

As best's'e'en in Fig. 8, the curved or semi-cylindrical vane member's 20b are of inwardly tapered configuration from the enlarged forward end to the reduced trailing end, thereby serving to more efficiently contact'and compress and propel the air horizontally outwardly in the form of individual jets.

Fig. 9 illustrates a further modified form of the fan blade or vane indicated at 20c. Said vane is formed as a rectangular channel member having its inner wall 37 secured to the outer end of an arm member 18, and is provided with spaced outwardly extending horizontal flanges 38 and39.

Said flanges inturn converge vertically towards one another from the forward to the trailing ends of the vane, thereby serving to more efficiently contact, compress and propel the air radially outwardly in the form of individual jets during rotation of the vanes.

Fig. 10 illustrates a further modified form of the vane wherein the same is constructed in the form of a truncated cone 20d having its forward air contacting end .202 of greater diameter than its rear or trailing end 20 in respect to the direction of rotation of thevane.

In all 'of these illustrated and described embodiments "of the invention, the instant novel and more efiicient principle of operation is present in respect to the outward horizontal and radial propulsion of the air by the vanes .in the form of individual jets in a rapidly succeeding and pulsating series. This manner of horizontal propulsion at an angle to the radii from a central source "of air supply, also serves to promote as to each of the described embodiments, an induced cyclonic circulation 4 'of'air around the unit during rotation of the fan blades or vanes.

The motor for driving the fan unit may be of relatively small capacity or horse power to obtain the desired efficient operation of the unit. Rotation of the arms and vanes from 1000 to 1750 r.p.m. has produced very satisfactory results.

While the invention has been illustrated with a single pair of rotatable diametrically disposed air jet propulsion vanes on the unit, it will be understood that this number may be varied if desired, and a plurality of pairs of equidistantly spaced arms and vanes may be employed for rotation by the electric motor or other driving means for the unit.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely exemplary embodiments thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An air circulating ventilating jet fan, comprising a vertical rotatable shaft extending upwardly through and surrounded by a flat imperforate horizontal disc, said shaft having a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending arms pivotally connected thereto for vertical tilting movement of said arms, the outer terminal portions of said arms being curved rearwardly relative to the direction of rotation of said shaft, the trailing ends of said rearwardly curved arm portions haivng vanes fixed thereto and also extending rearwardly therefrom, said vanes being disposed substantially normal to the axis of said arms to centrifu'gall'y project jets of air horizontally in all directions along and outwardly from the upper surface of said disc and at angles to the radii of said shaft, thereby creating high pressure Zones in advance of said vanes and low pressure zones rearwardly thereof to effect cyclonic movement of the surrounding air circumferentially of said fan.

2. An air circulating jet fan unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said vanes are of substantially semi-conical configuration converging from the leading to the trailing ends thereof.

3. An air circulating jet fan unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said vanes are of tapered channel shape converging from the leading to the trailing ends thereof.

4. An air circulating jet fan unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said vanes are of truncated conical configuration tapered inwardly from the leading to the trailing ends thereof.

5. An air circulating jet fan unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said vanes are inclined and curved radially outwardly at their trailing ends for the purpose described.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 13,100 Pollock et al. June 19, 1855 120,317 Patterson Oct. 24, 1871 130,310 Patterson Aug. 6, 1872 195,865 Wilson Oct. 2, 1877 221,970 Miller Nov. 25, 1879 499,673 Green June 13, 1893 540,999 Morris June 11, 1895 752,275 Webber Feb. 16, 1904 919,623 McDufiee Apr. 27, 1909 997,678 Jalonick July 11, 1911 1,247,838 Howe Nov. 27, 1917 1,322,582 Kohn Nov. 25, 1919 1,371,936 Rubino Mar. 15, 1921 1,426,581 McKee Aug. 22, 1922 1,771,814 Osborn et al. July 29, 1930 '(Other references on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Oliver Dec. 9, 1930 Morse Dec. 19, 1933 Lenz Dec. 26, 1933 Yoch Jan. 8, 1935 Mobley Mar. 4, 1947 Strom May 6, 1947 Lhota Oct. 24, 1950 Haims June 9, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 10, 1914 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1919 Great Britain May 2, 1941 

